


Take You Out or Fake You Out

by YorkandDelta



Series: Fakes and Forgeries [3]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Beach Trip, Fake AH Crew, Fluff and Smut, Kidnapping, M/M, Smut, Violence, mentions of dusk boys, physiotherapy sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-05-13 13:52:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14750091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YorkandDelta/pseuds/YorkandDelta
Summary: Gavin looked at his other captor. He had an obvious expression of horror and possibly...Pity. Clearly an inexperienced lackey. That could be useful. Gavin can work with an underling who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Shouldn’t be too hard to convince him to betray his crew. This is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship!A beautiful friendship that blossoms into something more. Luckily his boyfriend doesn't mind.Gavin's point of view from Forging a Path Through Life, including fluffy dates and steamy smut.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Every second chapter is smut!

Gavin knocked back a Moscow Mule. He’s lost track of how many he had at this point. 

 

Michael was around somewhere. It was too dark to see anything and there were too many bodies around that would block his view anyway. Gavin decided to continue dancing instead of looking for his Boi. Dancing was fun!

 

Dancing was fun...but he was starting to get dizzy. He pushed through the crowd back to the table with their stuff. 

 

Michael was there! Delightful!

 

Other people are there too. Gavin didn’t know them, but they probably weren’t as delightful as Michael. 

 

Gavin sat, but he kept zoning out and couldn’t listen to the conversation at the table. 

 

Chips would help him concentrate. “ _ Micoo _ , let’s go to the chip shop  _ Micoo _ .”

 

“Gavin! For the millionth time! We are NOT going to get fucking French fries!”

 

That was rude. Surely it was only the first time he asked. Pouting, Gavin flounced away. Or he tried to. Flouncing was a bit out of reach right now. He stumbled away.

 

He stumbles right out of the bar and starts towards the chip truck. The cool air is such a relief after the sweaty bar.

 

Blinding light causes him to blink and his head to spin. An SUV drove by. He didn’t want nasty cars blinding him. There won’t be any in the alley. Cars don’t drive in alleys. And it’s a short cut to the chip truck!

 

Now the alley lights up. Car doors slam.  _ What? _ He turns.

 

A car blocks the entrance. Against the headlights three figures are coming towards him.

 

Gavin runs.

 

Gavin runs straight into a trash can. 

 

Struggling with the metal and slippery trash hands grab him. He thrashes but he’s thrown into a car. He struggles to get out but the three figures climb into the car after him and the driver takes off. He wriggles to reach the door handle but the world goes dark.

 

*****

 

Gavin blinked his eyes. At first he didn’t know if it worked. Everything was dark. His head hurt. He tried to curl up but something blocked his knees. He felt rough fabric against his skin. A car door opened. He realized he was in the footwell of a car. 

 

Hands grabbed him and he was suddenly reminded of what happened. His head swam as he was moved and he wondered if it was from the alcohol or an injury.

 

He was thrown into the back of a van this time. He scrambled to get on his feet or any position where he could fight but someone climbed in after him. His captor grabbed his arm and wrestled it behind his back. Metal clinked and the cold bit his skin. His wrist was pulled to his opposite elbow and he groaned. He was not flexible enough for this. He knows people are talking behind him but he can’t focus on it as his other arm is grabbed and forced into the same position. He struggles but with the knee digging into his back and his shoulders pulled uncomfortably he can’t do much. 

 

Hands grab his ankle this time and pull him out from the car slightly. Pain erupted in his leg and he screamed. He thrashed as hands grabbed his other leg but it was no use. This time he heard the swish of something moving through the air before he felt whatever it was come down on his shin. The pain was intense but certainly dulled by the alcohol. He didn’t want to wake up to the worst of it later. But maybe he should be thankful to wake up at all. 

 

He was shoved fully in the trunk and the van started to move. This was bad. He had no concept of where he was or who took him He didn’t really know how long he had been missing or if Michael would notice soon. 

 

It didn’t seem like very long before the van stopped, but he may have blacked out along the way if the jolt he got when once again hands grabbed him was any indication. 

 

Two men frog marched him into a building and down a set of stairs. They threw him into a room on his back. He must have blacked out again because the next thing he knew he was alone. With a whimper he rolled onto his stomach to save his arms. The pain in his legs warned him they were probably broken. He didn’t know how much time had passed. 

 

He could hear heavy boots above him.

 

Gavin was scared.

 

*****

 

It felt like a long time had passed before he saw his captors again. The door to his prison was slammed open. A man kicked him onto his back. He cried out in pain in spite of himself. The man put his boot directly on one of his broken legs. Gavin steeled himself against reacting and tried to put on a neutral expression. 

 

There were two men in the room. One obviously in charge. The one on his leg of course.

“Broke his legs so he won’t be getting far. Put that food down, we wouldn’t want him to starve to death now would we?”  He sneered. 

Gavin looked at the second man. He had an obvious expression of horror and possibly...Pity. Huh. That could be useful. 

“Uh, where?” Looks like this one is Tweedle  _ Dumb _ . Clearly an inexperienced lacky. A second point in his favour. 

“Christ, kid! Just on the fucking floor! He’s a bitch so he may as well eat like one!” The bowl in the shorter man’s hand his dashed to the ground and the boss stormed out of the room. The remaining man winced, really  _ winced _ before he followed. 

This could be good. Gavin can work with an underling who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Shouldn’t be too hard to convince him to betray his crew. He probably just needs the money, and Gavin has plenty of that.

*****

Gavin didn’t see anyone for another long stretch of time. They were leaving him to stew. But why? He still didn’t know who had him. He knew the crew would be looking for him. Christ, Ryan would be  _ furious _ ! He couldn’t wriggle out of the chains on his arms, but he kept trying because otherwise his fingers started to go numb. He wished his legs would instead. 

The door opened. The newbie from before came in holding a bowl. Gavin decided to start with the expected spiel: “Just let me go, and there will be no beef with you. We can all move past this, no worries.” He made his voice reassuring and kind. 

The man was clearly scared of something. His eyes were fixed on the door. Was someone listening? He yelled “Shut the fuck up, you slut!” and hit himself. Gavin realized that to anyone outside the door it would sound like the man hit the hostage. So a yes to whether someone is listening.

But that also means this man doesn’t  _ want _ to hit Gavin. An interesting development.

Even more interesting is the ice packs the man sets down on his legs. Gavin almost moans with how good it feels to have something cold on his shins. 

When he blinks his eyes open again the man is gone. He investigates the bowl. It was porridge again. Gavin was starving, so he nibbled at it. Then he took a larger bite. There was sugar in it this time! This is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin's impressions of Jeremy after the rescue and Ryan blowing Gavin.

Gavin’s transition from  _ captive _ to  _ free _ goes about as quickly as getting caught in the first place, and it was significantly less painless. One day Jeremy is asking for a place to drop a note and the next he’s being carried out of his cell and driven home. It was such a relief! Gavin had always been a very social creature and being left alone for most of the day had been really getting to him. He was ecstatic to see his friends and his partner after what seemed like forever. The medical attention was a godsend too. He was glad the crew had access to the really good painkillers. 

As horrible as his kidnapping was, he was keenly aware of how much  _ worse _ it could have been. The Vagos could easily have tried torturing him for fun or just killed him outright, but instead they left him to the mercy of Jeremy. Kind, sweet Jeremy who would bring him food and ice. Jeremy’s touches were always gentle and he always snuck him good food. Gavin knew how lucky he was to get such a caring person as a guard instead of a rough, unsympathetic bully. 

And the best part is that Jeremy came home with him! He was easily the nicest person Gavin had ever met, Jack losing the title because Gavin had seen her ruthlessly slaughter people (not a bad thing for their line of work, but it disqualifies you from winning the ‘nice’ trophy). Jeremy is far to good and pure to be working with a bunch of criminals, especially goons like the Vagos. 

During his time as a prisoner Gavin promised Jeremy safety and protection if he could help him escape. After he was freed he really believed that that would be the last he saw of his caretaker. He was delighted to be wrong. Jeremy not only stuck around with the crew, but he was spending most of his time with Gavin. True, they were both stuck there because of injuries and fear of their lives, but Jeremy wasn’t sulky or downcast about it, and he never made Gavin feel like the other man was only putting up with him because he had no other choice. 

Jeremy got along well with everyone in the crew. He was making friends of his own outside of his interactions with the injured man. Gavin could also see that Ryan had a soft spot for him, a fondness that manifested in Ryan going full protector mode. Gavin wondered if Jeremy noticed yet, or if not how long it would be after Jeremy left the bunker before he did. If he stuck around to find out.

And that was the only spot of trouble for Gavin. Jeremy was only going to be a temporary friend. In a few weeks the gang war would be over, it would be safe for Jeremy to leave, and he would go on to live a very separate life and probably be glad to never see another criminal again. 

Jeremy certainly wouldn’t want to stay with the crew. He wasn’t a criminal, and didn’t need to be dragged into that lifestyle. Gavin was just being selfish in his hope that Jeremy would want to join the crew officially. He knew Geoff offered, but so far Jeremy hadn’t accepted. He told Gavin how much he hated being with the Vagos, so Gavin didn’t see any reason why he would choose to continue in the same line of work. 

Gavin was hardly resigned to letting Jeremy walk out of his life with no fight. He was having too good a time getting to know his new friend. Jeremy was a real delight to spend time with. He has a sunny laugh and is persuadable in a way that reminds him of Michael when they first met. Gavin decided to influence Jeremy’s choice: telling him stories about all of the fun things the crew does together. Not just the heists, but the drives around the city, the lawnmower races, summers at the beach, sunsets and fireworks on Chiliad. 

He was rewarded one day when the two of them were taking turns playing Minecraft. They were trying to tame ocelots and made a cat army. Gavin was fishing, because they decided not to do this on creative mode. Jeremy was fidgety. Finally he took a deep breath and said, “So I was talking to Geoff today.”

Gavin looked over at him, missing the digital fish tugging at his line. “What were you talking about that’s got you all worked up Lil J?

“Well, I told him I’d like to try a couple forging jobs for him. Just to see how I like it.”

Gavin squealed and hugged Jeremy. The two spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the jobs Geoff had him working on and whether or not he would consider joining the crew. Jeremy said he was seriously thinking about it and Gavin couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. 

Gavin was excited to get to spend a lot more time with Jeremy. He was an endless source of fun and was going to make his days a lot less lonely. 

But his nights, oh, his nights he spends with Ryan. And they certainly aren't lonely. 

Ryan gets clingy, gets  _ possessive _ , if ever Gavin is hurt. Him being missing for days on top of that means that Ryan needs extra reassurance that Gavin is ok. And Ryan likes his reassurance in a very... _ physical _ way. 

*****

Ryan bobbed his head down on Gavin’s dick. Gavin wanted to buck his hips up to sink his cock farther into his lover’s warm mouth but Ryan’s strong arms pinned him to his chair. A skillful tongue undulated against him and he whimpered with the sensation. Ryan had been working him over for the past half hour. Slow and teasing, he worked Gavin over, both of them reveling in the physicality.

Not being able to move his legs made sex with Ryan very different. Still good though, he thought as Ryan sunk down and swallowed. Gavin’s hands traveled down from tugging his partner’s hair to caress his back. They hadn’t even made it to the bed this time. Gavin was in his wheelchair, Ryan between his legs. Gavin hunched forwards yearning for something to press against his chest. Ryan’s hair tickled his bare stomach but he needed  _ more _ , needed  _ pressure _ . 

Gavin imagined strong arms holding him from behind. A warm body pressing against his chest. Muscular arms would hold him in place the way Ryan pinned his legs. Soft lips and a scratchy beard would trace along his neck and shoulders while Ryan would continue to suck him off. A wave of arousal washed over him at this guilty fantasy but with it came the stark realization that his body wasn’t going to cooperate with him tonight. 

Gavin slid his hands back to his lover’s head and stared to tug him up for a kiss. Ryan must have thought it was a warning because he started sucking harder. Gavin tugged more insistently and he begged, “Please Rye-” His partner popped off his dick with a confused look but Gavin pulled him up and kissed it away. He tried pulling Ryan closer, onto his lap, but the older man wouldn’t come. Probably because the last time they were in this situation Ryan was in the wheelchair after a bad burn to his feet and ankles. They managed to tip the chair over backwards. Turns out brakes are very important on a wheelchair, especially if two people want to sit on it at once. 

Gavin gave up trying to pull Ryan close and broke the kiss. Stroking his cheek he whispered “Take me to bed, luv.”

Ryan obliged, lifting Gavin out of the chair and carrying him the few steps to their bed. He laid him gently on his back and climbed on top of him. Gavin reached between them to stroke Ryan’s neglected cock. The larger man stuttered out a gasp. He grabbed Gavin’s hand to stop him and said “I wanna make you feel good first, babe.” 

“You have Rye. I feel so good, but with the painkillers and such I don’t think I can finish tonight. Please,  _ this _ ” Gavin gave Ryan’s dick a teasing stroke, “is what will make me feel good right now.”

Ryan gave in and buried his face in the crook of Gavin’s neck with a moan. It was almost exactly what the slimmer man needed. Gavin reached his free hand around Ryan’s back to pull him closer and get the pressure he craved. 

Gavin’s skilled fingers worked over the desperate Ryan very quickly. His moans and exclamations of  _ ah _ started to get higher pitched and soon he was spilling over Gavin’s hand and stomach. He turned his face to Gavin’s and pressed their lips together in a filthy kiss. 

Ryan took a few minutes to come back down and then he started the cleanup process. Experience has taught the two of them that they are both too lazy to want to get up after sex so everything they needed was in arms reach. 

Then Ryan went back to kissing Gavin. His fingers were working magic on the back of his neck and shoulders. After a minute he stopped and told Gavin to roll over. Once the injured man was on his stomach Ryan started to massage him properly. Gavin moaned as Ryan’s strong hands worked away the tension in his neck and along his spine. Fingers dipped into the muscles around his shoulder blades. It was a mix of strong fingers working out knots and warm, broad strokes of his palms along Gavin’s skin. Every now and then Ryan’s lips would trace along his skin in tender kisses. 

Gavin sighed and started to dose. Ryan wrapped his arms around his sleepy body and carefully rolled them so that they were spooning. Gavin fell asleep to soft fingers swirling over his skin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not actually super happy with this chapter, but instead of letting it cause writer's block I'm going to slap it up here. And I don't know that I'm sorry about it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dusk Boys and Beach Days!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a request that took me way too long to follow through. Oops! Enjoy!

Today was the day Gavin could finally get his casts taken off. Andy deemed it was long enough that the bones were healed so he came mid-afternoon to remove them. Whoever built this bunker originally had installed an x-ray machine. No one knew why, no one particularly wanted to find out, and no one complained, especially when it meant avoiding a trip to the hospital. Gavin’s legs were x-rayed one more time to prove that everything was as it should be. After freeing his legs Andy ran Gavin through a number of stretches and exercises to rebuild the muscles. Ryan was there taking notes and Gavin knew he wouldn’t be allowed to slack off.

By the time they were finished the sun was low on the horizon. The perfect time. Gavin grabbed his keys and his drone and headed for the door, relishing in the freedom of moving on two legs again.

“Where are you going?” asked Ryan

“Why Ryan, it’s almost time for dusk.”

*****

The colours of the sunset were dimming as the day faded to dusk. A group of joggers puffed their way up the hill through Vinewood. Oblivious to the drone overhead. The street was narrow and winding, walls on either side creating a channel, herding the exercisers towards the hidden truck. A man in a blue cape and mask watched their progress through the eyes of the drone. Just before they could round the last corner, he gave a signal.

Suddenly a man in a green mask sprinted around the corner, screaming for his life. He kept casting terrified looks over his shoulder, his matching cape streaming behind him. The joggers paused, confused. Concerned. A lady in a red tracksuit stepped backwards, nervous. Crime was common in this city, but not in this neighbourhood. At least not the violent types of crime done by the gangs in the shadier areas of town.

The joggers waited and watched to see what would come around the corner and if they too should run. They didn’t have to wait long to see what was chasing the man.

A single purple ball bounced after the man. It was the type you’d find in a bin at Walmart before a summer long weekend. A perfectly harmless child’s toy. They watched him flee his rubber pursuer, turning their backs to the corner. They didn’t know that as the man ran past them another signal was given. Their only warning was an ominous rumble. They turned towards the sound. None were prepared for hundreds of balls, all different shapes and sizes, to come thumping around the corner. The joggers screamed. As one they turned and followed the masked man. But he was nowhere in sight. They didn’t know that he had jumped a wall and was circling back to where the orange-masked man waited beside the now empty truck.

The two joined the third to watch the many camera angles as the jogging group fled in terror. A few were smart and found alcoves or driveways they could hide it while the balls stampeded down the hill but many tried outrunning the onslaught. The lady in red stepped on a smaller bouncy ball and slid down the hill on her butt, screaming. A yoga ball arched over her like Free Willy.

The balls didn’t stop just because the prank was finished. They picked up speed. They bounced into people’s yards. They landed in swimming pools. They shattered windows. An unlucky Entity was driving up the road and the relentless tide of balls peppered the side of the car. In a panic the driver fishtailed across the road and crashed into a tree. All down the hill the balls left carnage in their wake. Three crashed cars, 23 broken windows, five sprained ankles, and many confused citizens were left when the balls finally stopped bouncing.

By the time the first responders arrived the truck, drone and masked men were nowhere to be found. Night had fallen.

*****

What better way to celebrate his first full day cast free than a day at the beach! Ryan was driving him and Jeremy to their favourite strip of sand in all of Los Santos. Most of the tourists kept to the pier, but they liked a little cove on the west side of Chiliad where a stream came down from the mountain. It had just the right amount of sun and shade, it was protected from the wind, and most importantly, there were no other people.

Ryan drove off the dirt road and parked his car behind a bush so it would be invisible to the road. The path down to the beach was narrow and a little bit winding. It would be dangerous in the rain, but why would anyone go to the beach in the rain anyway?

It was Jeremy’s first time in the spot. Gavin watched his reaction. His face was a picture of awe. “Well Lil J? What do you think?”

“This place is wicked! How did you find out about it?”

Ryan answered “Oh, we crash landed here on a heist once. We had to steal a motor boat and drive it upstream in the creek over there. Not fun. But at least the police had no idea what happened to us.”

“They probably thought we died in the crash!”

“Until the next time we heisted.”

When Gavin got to the sandy beach he took a moment to enjoy the feeling of sand in his toes. It had been a long time since he was able to go swimming. The three spread out their towels and weighted them down with their shoes.

“Last time I was here my towel blew right into the water! Michael refused to let me use his, the bastard.” Gavin complained

“Where are the rest of the guys anyways?” Asked Jeremy.

“Oh it’s just us today.” Gavin answered.

Gavin watched Jeremy freeze and dart a deer-in-the-headlights look between Gavin and Ryan. “Uh...I didn’t, like...I’m not third wheeling your date am I?” He licked his lips nervously.

Gavin and Ryan both laughed. “Jeremy,” Gavin answered, “We were the ones wot asked you to come!”

“Plus I’m pretty sure with the amount Gavin talked about it in front of you it was only polite to ask you too.” said Ryan.

“Not that we only asked you to be polite!” Assured Gavin, catching the panicked look that flashed across Jeremy’s face. “You’ve worked so hard and been so patient with me, you deserve this treat as much as anyone. When was the last time you were at the beach?”

“Hmmm must have been the first week I moved here.”

“ _Jeremy_! That was three years ago! You don’t mean to say you haven’t been since then?”

“Look, it wasn’t a priority of mine for a while there…”

“Well we’ll have to fix that! The beach has all of my top priorities, swimmies, bevs, and sun bathing.”

“Well what are you waiting for?” Asked Ryan. “Let’s get in!”

The men were wearing their bathing suits under their clothes. They stripped off their shirts and pants. Gavin saw that Jeremy seemed hesitant. He held his clothes over his chest as if to cover himself. That wouldn’t do.

“Come on!” Urged Gavin. He grabbed Jeremy’s wrist, forcing him to drop his clothes, and took off running towards the water. They splashed into the waves, shrieking as the cool water shocked their skin. The water here was pretty shallow, but it did have a steady drop. The men only had to go a little ways before they weren’t able to touch the sand anymore. Ryan joined them at a more reasonable pace.

They swam and splashed around for a while. Eventually Gavin lay back and closed his eyes. He was good at floating, especially in salty water. It would get his hair and ears wet, but if he arched his back and controlled his breathing he could stay like that for hours. He relaxed and let the noise of the seagulls and the waves wash over him. Suddenly something grabbed his ankle. He flailed his legs to get free and spluttered as Ryan laughed. Gavin scowled at his boyfriend as Jeremy resurfaced, a huge grin on his face.

“Oh is that what we’re doin’? You better be careful with what you start Jeremy!” And with that Gavin grabbed his attacker’s shoulders and dunked him in the water. Ryan was still laughing so Gavin splashed as much water as he could at him. Jeremy was up and spluttering now and splashed Gavin in retaliation. The two sprayed water at each other until Ryan came and picked Gavin up to toss him into the water.

“Ryan! That’s no fair Ryan, you’re supposed to be on _my_ side!”

“You’re right Gav.” He picked up Jeremy and tossed him into the deeper water as well.

They continued their fight until everyone was out of breath. Then they got out to warm up. Even though Los Santos is tropical, it was still ocean water so it never truly heated up. They towelled off and Ryan started applying sun lotion. He was pasty white and burned in an instant. Like always Gavin squirted some lotion on his hand and did Ryan’s back where he couldn’t reach. It _was_ helpful but Gavin mainly used it as an excuse to touch Ryan’s muscles. He caught Jeremy watching them, the artist paused in his own sunscreen application.

“Do you want me to help with your back Lil J?” Gavin asked.

Jeremy snapped out of whatever trance he was in. “No, no! I’ve got it!”

“You don’t want to burn, Jeremy!”

Wordlessly, Ryan moved behind Jeremy and held out his hand for the bottle. Jeremy passed it to him and Ryan started to spread lotion on his back. He must have already started to burn because his face was really red. Gavin watched as his boyfriend rubbed Jeremy’s back. Jeremy was fit, but he seemed self conscious in the way he curled his shoulders in and had his towel half wrapped around his stomach. Gavin didn’t know what Jeremy was self conscious about, he was very fit. He didn’t have the defined muscles like Ryan but he was obviously still strong and very good looking. And seeing Ryan behind him, touching him. Gavin would be happy to see _that_ more often. But he shook his head. That wasn’t a path he wanted to think about too much.

Gavin knew he had a crush on the shorter man. Ryan had his heart and always would. He would sooner give up breathing than Ryan, but he couldn’t help but be fascinated by Jeremy. It had started with curiosity, getting to know the newcomer while they were both stuck in the bunker. Soon Jeremy’s sweetness had enthralled Gavin. The two had a comfortable banter. Gavin had started to flirt, because that’s what Gavin _does_ and Jeremy had no trouble dishing it right back to him. He flirted so easily and so outrageously sometimes that Gavin had no doubts the other man wasn't serious. He had seen Jeremy nervous enough times that he knew the artist had no emotional investment in their banter, it was all a joke to him. Gavin had to pretend he felt the same way. Jeremy was a perfect match for Gavin, but Gavin already found his perfect match and he wasn’t about to do anything to risk that.

They lay in the sun for a while. Jeremy had his sketchbook and some coloured pencils, Ryan had a book, and Gavin just dozed. Eventually they got hot enough to dip back in the water and the cycle would repeat. In the late afternoon Ryan pulled out a cooler that he had stashed in the cool shady water and they had a picnic There were even (mostly melted) ice cream sandwiches.

Normally they would stay until dark and have a bonfire and fireworks, but today they had started earlier so they were ready to go home before it got too late. They had one last dip in the ocean before changing back into their clothes.

It was one of Gavin’s favourite things to watch Ryan strip out of his wet things. Drops of water ran down his neck from his ponytail and traced lines along his body. He glistened in the sun, his muscles rippling as he stepped out of his suit and into his pants. It was a shame to cover such an exquisite body.

Gavin couldn’t help sneak a quick peak at Jeremy. His caretaker had seen him naked countless times, so it was only fair. Jeremy was turned away from them to preserve his modesty, but what Gavin could see looked nice. If only there were a way to see more of that more often. But Jeremy was clearly body-shy and Gavin looked away after only the briefest of glances, not wanting to be a huge creep.

They drove home in the sleepy silence that always comes after a day in the sun. Gavin wasn’t disappointed by their perfect beach day ending. He had more plans with Ryan that night to look forward to after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dusk boys section was shamelessly inspired by Just For Laughs Gags. Give the real thing a watch!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoBHXq7q6pw


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Ryan have the best incentive to do their physiotherapy.

Gavin was stretching out his legs. The muscles were in surprisingly good shape considering the treatment he had received at the hands of the Vagos, but they still needed care to get back to 100%. The gang all knew the drill when it came to physiotherapy, they were injured pretty often. Everyone knew to actually do the exercises. The threat of not healing properly paled in comparison to the threat of Andy lecturing them about it. 

He only worked with the crew when he was needed, and spent the rest of the time at a clinic in the city. It was the frustration of his life that his patients refused to do their exercise.  _ They show up to one appointment after another having done  _ nothing _ in between and then had the nerve to complain that they weren’t getting better! What do they expect! You fuckers better do what I tell you because I swear to god, I can’t shoot them without losing my job but I will shoot  _ YOU!

And they knew he was right. So they only complained half-heartedly. The whole crew not only accepted it, but expected everyone to do their physio, so it was a lot easier to find the motivation. Gavin had extra incentive though, in the form of his partner.

*****

Gavin moaned. He was flexing his thighs to raise himself up and down. Ryan’s hands were on his hips, guiding him as he sank down on his thick cock. Gavin was riding his boyfriend using the strength of his legs alone. The muscles were still weak but the desire chase his pleasure won out over the strain. 

It was still hard. He needed  _ more _ and  _ faster _ but his legs wouldn’t cooperate with him tears of frustration and need started leaking from under his eyes. “Ryan,  _ Ryan _ I need -” He choked off his begging with a whimper. “You’re doing so good Gav, I got you. Just a little more. Push yourself a little more. You can do this.” Gavin gasped and felt as his thrusts got feebler in spite of Ryan’s whispered praise. 

Just when he thought he couldn’t take any more Ryan sat up and guided Gavin into lying on his back. He made sure to give Gavin his reward. Ryan  _ worshiped _ Gavin’s body. His mouth on the Brit’s neck when he wasn’t whispering sweet words into his ear. One hand holding all his weight as the other worked over Gavin’s straining penis. His cock moving perfectly inside of Gavin. This was a break. The smaller man lay back and savoured the sweet treatment. He knew they were only halfway done. 

They kept the slow pace for a while, until Gavin started begging for more. At this Ryan hooked a hand around Gavin’s leg brought it up to his chest. Gavin obediently grabbed behind his knee and Ryan took his ankle. Ryan stretched his leg straight. The new angle allowed him to thrust deeper. Gavin moaned and tried to flex and point his toes, but the perfect rhythm of Ryan’s hips made it hard to focus. Ryan stretched his leg in all directions and forced Gavin to hold the position, but Gavin was too lost to the world of pleasure to really notice the burn in his muscles. 

Ryan meticulously went through every conceivable position for both legs, one at a time but soon neither of them could wait any longer. Ryan pushed both of his lover’s legs over his shoulders and Gavin crossed his ankles in the air. Bent almost double, Gavin could feel Ryan’s cock slide further in than before. Every stroke stimulated his prostate. Gavin knew his session was almost over and he could finally let go and enjoy the feeling. He brought his hand between them and started jacking himself off in time with his partner’s thrusts. It wasn’t long before he tipped over the edge and spilled hot spunk all over his stomach. He felt Ryan’s hips stutter as he too finished. 

Gavin knew he had the best boyfriend ever, because after clean up Ryan expertly massaged his spent muscles as he drifted off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister is a PT and would be ASHAMED of me.


	5. Chapter 5

Gavin had to admit that his crush on Jeremy was starting to be a problem. When he first realized it he didn’t worry too much about it, people get crushes, even people in committed, loving relationships let their eyes wander sometimes. It shouldn’t be a big deal. But this thing with Jeremy lasted a lot longer than he expected. Instead of getting over it, Gavin felt like he was falling more in love all the time. However, he wasn’t falling  _ out _ of love with Ryan. Things with Ryan were great. They had always been great and nothing had changed between them. His feelings for Jeremy were completely separate from that. 

It wasn’t that Jeremy was causing the problem either, well, not knowingly at least. Since Gavin clearly had a boyfriend who he was in love with, he could flirt with Jeremy with no worry that the other man would think of it as real interest. It was the perfect disguise. And Jeremy played along, which was wonderful, but didn’t help Gavin’s feelings. 

The problem was that Jeremy was a gentleman. He always treated Gavin with kindness, and fondness, and respect. Gavin knew that whenever Jeremy touched him it would be gentle. That his hands would never stray anywhere inappropriate, even if Gavin daydreamed about it. Things with Ryan hadn’t started that way. Theirs was a relationship founded on lust, even though it grew to so much more than that. Gavin wasn’t complaining, oh no, he was the one who seduced  _ Ryan _ after all. It was supposed to be just for kicks, nothing serious. It was what he needed and what he knew at the time. Neither of them expected to develop feelings out of it but that is exactly what happened. Now the opposite was happening with Jeremy. He developed feelings first and a big part of him wanted to turn that into something physical. It was novel, it was exciting, and it was completely, heartbreakingly impossible. 

Because Gavin loved Ryan too much to risk it. And even if that wasn’t an issue, Jeremy didn’t love him back and Gavin didn’t think he could have a meaningless fling with Jeremy and then go back to normal. He was in too deep. 

At least that is what he thought. Last night Ryan had brought up Gavin’s very obvious crush. It was mortifying. But Ryan, lovely Ryan, said he didn’t  _ mind _ . Had told Gavin he not only was allowed to go for it, but that Ryan wanted to just as much as Gavin. Most importantly, he said he thought Jeremy was interested too, and Ryan is very good at reading people.

So now it was Gavin’s mission to get Jeremy on board. He wasn’t sure how he could show the man he was actually serious and not just a shameless flirt. He hoped Jeremy wouldn’t panic and think Gavin was crossing a line. That would be very bad. 

But Jeremy wasn’t in his apartment. Gavin thought he would be working on editing the pictures he took yesterday so he let himself in. Jeremy wasn’t at his computer desk. Gavin spent a minute dangling a shoelace in front of the cat before deciding to check the university library.

Armed with coffee and muffins, Gavin moved through the campus library to Jeremy’s favourite study corner. But the lad wasn’t there either. He wasn’t anywhere in the library. Gavin wandered through the art building. He knew Jeremy didn’t have classes there at the moment, but maybe he was around for some reason. The coffees were cold by the time Gavin gave up. 

Jeremy still wasn’t at his apartment when Gavin returned. He did finally answer his text messages. He had been out shopping. He didn’t know when he would get back. 

Gavin didn’t think much of it at the time, but then it kept happening. Gavin had no idea where Jeremy was disappearing to. He was worried the student was stressing about his final exams and wished he could help in some way. He left food in Jeremy’s empty apartment and spent lots of time playing with Tubby. 

When finally,  _ finally _ , exams were over Gavin thought things would go back to the way they were before. It was only when they didn’t that Gavin realized Jeremy was intentionally avoiding him. Gavin hadn’t properly seen Jeremy in over a month now and he couldn’t deny it any longer: The other man didn’t want to see him. 

It  _ hurt _ . Not because Gavin wasn’t expecting it, but because he forgot that he should. Gavin expected Jeremy to leave as soon as he was free of the Vagos, but he stayed to help take care of him. He could have left when the Vagos were gone, but he accepted Geoff’s job offer. Gavin had let himself believe that Jeremy would stay forever. But of course now he could go back to studying art so he was leaving. Gavin had hoped that the friendships he made, not just with him and Ryan but with Matt and Jack and Trevor, would mean he would keep in touch, but now that he could follow his dream and lead a normal life that wasn’t going to be the case. And the worst part was Gavin didn’t know if he should be disappointed he never got the chance to tell Jeremy how he really felt, or relieved that he was spared the hurt of disappointment when Jeremy left all the same. Would  _ Gavin’s _ feelings really have changed Jeremy’s mind? The answer is probably not.

Gavin was heartbroken. He tried to hide it from Ryan, but the other man knew. Ryan always knew when something was bothering Gavin. He was so disappointed in himself. He didn’t want his partner to think that his love wasn’t enough for him. 

But then, just when Gavin was at his lowest, Jeremy texted him. It was out of the blue, it was just a simple  _ Hi _ , but Gavin let it buoy him up with hope again. Things went back to normal, like it had never changed. And this time, Gavin was determined not to lose the chance to tell Jeremy how he felt.

He still waited. He wanted to make sure Jeremy was happy to balance school and the gang. Attending classes were always different that taking a couple online courses. So far Jeremy seemed like he was going to stick around after all. 

Gavin planned a movie night. It was going to be a Bond marathon, but he was hoping to bond with his favourite artist instead. Gavin had seen the movies enough times that he didn’t need to focus on them. Instead he focused on getting closer and closer to Jeremy until he was curled up under his arm with Jeremy stroking his hair. His touch was hesitant, revenant almost. It was slow and deliberate and Gavin felt himself dozing off.

He woke slowly, which was a pleasant change from how he usually woke up. Usually Ryan squirmed out from underneath him while it was still far too early. Gavin could rarely convince him to stay in bed longer. It was because his partner had trouble sleeping, and he could only lie awake in bed for so long before he had to move. 

He must have had a good night, because he was still curled up with Gavin under the covers. Gavin could feel his arm around him so he burrowed further into the crook of his neck, seeking warmth and snuggles. Ryan kissed the top off his head. So it was going to be one of  _ those _ mornings. Gavin giggled in anticipation and kissed along Ryan’s collarbone. His sleep hazed mind started to point out that something was unfamiliar here, but he wasn’t awake enough to realize what it was. He felt Ryan wrap both arms around him and nuzzle his hair. Gavin looked up, ready to tell his partner all about the wonderful success he had with Jeremy the night before, only to come face to face with the man himself. 

Gavin jumped away, suddenly very awake. His mind raced, trying to figure out how and why he was in bed with Jeremy and not Ryan. 

Jeremy very clearly started to panic. He stuttered out an apology “ I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that! Ryan was saying that you-” and scrambled to get out of bed.  _ No! Bad! He can’t leave yet! _ Gavin grabbed on to his arm. 

“ No stay! I was just surprised.” He reassured. “If Ryan said I fancy you then he was right” He looked down and continued, “It doesn’t mean you have to do this if you don’t want to…” 

“I do want to Gav. I’m sorry I ever made you feel like I didn’t… I just didn’t want to come between you and Ryan.” 

Gavin’s heart soared at the words. Finally, he could do what he was dreaming of for months. “That’s alright luv, we’ve talked about it. And we agreed that we do want you between us. Very much so.” He brought his lips to Jeremy’s and kissed him. It felt like a weight he had been carrying was finally taken off his shoulders. 

As wonderful as the kiss was, his mind kept bouncing around what Jeremy had told him.  _ Ryan was saying that you- _ but he hadn’t said what Ryan told him. It must have happened last night, or this morning. There is no way it was before the marathon, Jeremy wasn’t as responsive to Gavin’s touches the way he was now. Gavin wondered if Ryan had swooped in, actually talked about feelings like he was so good at doing, and gotten to kiss Jeremy first. Gavin was less annoyed that Ryan got to him first than he was at not getting to see it. It would have been quite the sight. 

He broke off the kiss to ask. “Did you and Rye-bread have a cheeky snog while I was still sleeping Jeremy? Normally I’d be grumpy if you woke me up, but letting me sleep through that is just plain rude.”

“No? I-he didn’t…” Jeremy seemed flustered and confused. 

“Why not?”

“I didn’t think that he… he never said...” 

Gavin wondered what had gone on between the two of them last night. “What exactly did Ryan tell you Jer?”

“He-he said that you care about me and that if I wanted to do more than flirt he wouldn’t be mad…” Ah, trust Ryan not to talk about  _ his own _ feelings. For someone so good at talking about awkward topics, he was bad at asking for what he wanted. 

“He left out a part, love. If you want to do more than flirt then he wants to  _ join in _ . Is that ok? We’d never pressure you but I know he likes you a lot...” Gavin wanted to do more than be a good wingman for his partner, he genuinely loved the thought of those two handsome men together. 

“Oh. Good. Yeah, I want-I want to do this with both of you.”

“Well then! I think you owe him a kiss, yeah?”

Gavin filmed Jeremy and Ryan’s first kiss. For  _ posterity _ . The two were as beautiful together as he thought they would be. The three of them decided to give his a try, and Gavin couldn’t have been happier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly? I've started to think of this work as something to get over with. I'm not a huge fan of how it is turning out and I don't have that much motivation for finishing it. 
> 
> BUT!! I just had a grand idea for my next work. It is going to be Matt/Ryan. Trying to figure out if a soulmate AU will fit or not, but I have the plot down and I'm excited! So to celebrate I posted this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys' first time doing the do.

Gavin was buzzing with excitement! Tonight was the night! He, Ryan, and Jeremy had cuddled and  _ canoodled _ before but Jeremy always slowed things down before they could get really intimate. Gavin had chalked it up to Jeremy wanting to take things slow and get comfortable romantically first, but luckily Ryan was there to actually figure out what was going on. Jeremy was  _ nervous _ . He admitted he had no clue what to do and that his few flings in college had not prepared him for knowing what to do with not one, but two people he actually cared about in bed. His shyness and embarrassment had held him back, but they had talked it over, the things they do and don’t like, what feels good etc, and were prepared to make their first time together  _ amazing. _

They started off the evening with a romantic dinner at a fancy seafood restaurant. They all flirted and teased each other, making Jeremy blush as red as his lobster. In the car on the way home Gavin slid into the back seat as Ryan drove them home. He wasted no time in leaning into Jeremy and kissing him on the cheek, then the lips. Ryan snorted. “Now I know why we have such a bad Uber review.”

“Don’t be jealous, love. We’re just warming up.”

Gavin managed to get Jeremy lying on his back across the seats with Gavin straddling him. The slide of their lips together and Jeremy’s big warm hands all over his body were the only things he was focusing on. Until Ryan slammed on the breaks, causing him to topple into the footwell. 

“You bloody prick! What was that for!”

Ryan just giggled and got out of the car. He opened the back door, helping Jeremy then Gavin onto their feet. “It’s not my fault you weren’t wearing a seat belt dear.”

Jeremy laughed his golden laugh and Ryan kissed them both on the cheeks in apology and Gavin forgave him. With their arms wrapped around each other they made their way up the elevator and into their apartment. Inside they left a trail of clothes leading to the bedroom. 

Gavin pulled Jeremy onto the bed on top of him as he lay back. Ryan settled in behind them, shedding the last of his clothes so that all of them were completely naked. Gavin watched him stroke Jeremy’s sides with his strong, sure hands and lean down to brush kisses along the back of Jeremy’s neck and shoulders. He felt Jeremy shudder and let out a moan against his lips. Ryan’s hands curled around to Jeremy’s stomach, spreading wide across his abdomen and Jeremy’s head fell forwards onto Gavin’s shoulder, breath coming fast.

“You good Jer?” Asked Ryan.

The man in the middle nodded. Gavin knew Jeremy wasn’t comfortable being very vocal in bed. He hoped that would be something they could work on, especially when their neighbours couldn’t hear a word of what was going on. 

Gavin felt Jeremy tense as Ryan teased his entrance with a slicked up finger. He didn’t like the tension in his newest partners frame, and no amount of kissing was making it go away. He decided to awkwardly shuffle out from under Jeremy and move so that he could get his mouth on Jeremy’s dick. He reveled in the quiet sound he drew out of his partner. Gavin had snagged the lube on his way to giving Jeremy a blow job, and used it to start opening himself up too. Gavin let his tongue swirl around the head of Jeremy’s cock while he worked more fingers into himself. 

“Oh god. Ryan  _ Gavin _ . I’m good. I’m so good.  _ Please. _ ”

Ryan groaned at the pleading and got started on rolling a condom on both himself and Jeremy. Gavin got himself into position on his back under ‘not so  _ lil _ J’ who wasted no time in dragging his dick along the cleft of Gavin’s ass. Gavin grabbed his knees and pulled them up, exposing himself to his lovers and watched Ryan’s hands guide Jeremy inside him.He gasped at the girthy intrusion. The two of them rocked together for a while until Jeremy was fully seated and then he paused. 

It was torture for Gavin, who just wanted Jeremy to  _ move _ already, but he knew what came next was worth it. He could feel Ryan start to work his way into Jeremy. The way he gasped at every added inch, the way his hips stuttered, wanting to rock back on Ryan’s thick cock.

Eventually Ryan too was fully seated, and they stayed for a while, Gavin alternating kissing Jeremy and Ryan, until they couldn’t take it anymore and needed more. Gavin could see the wicked smirk on Ryan’s face as he grabbed and pinned Gavin’s hips and pulled almost all the way out of Jeremy. They were both expecting him to slam back in and Jeremy whined when he didn’t. Jeremy had to thrust himself back to get that delicious full feeling, but that pulled him almost all the way out of Gavin. 

Ryan held himself and Gavin perfectly still as they watched Jeremy desperately fuck himself back and forth between them. It was truly a beautiful sight. Soon Jeremy was desperately moaning for more, his eyebrows scrunched in desperation. Gavin caught Ryan’s eye his smirk was mirrored in his lovers face as they moved in tandem, Gavin bucking up at exactly the same time as Ryan slammed down The noise Jeremy made was positively sinful. 

Soon all three of them found a rhythm that had them all gasping and groaning. Gavin let go of his knees in favour of grabbing at his boyfriends and kissing whatever skin he could reach. He knew it was an awkward angle for everyone involved, but he knew they would have time to perfect it together.

Unsurprisingly it was Jeremy who came first. The pleasure of being in between his two lovers overwhelmed him. Gavin and Ryan helped him work through his orgasm and kissed him until he came down. Utterly spent, he rolled away from them to watch the rest of the show. 

Gavin knew that Ryan knew exactly what he needed at this point, when he was far too turned on to think. He let Ryan pull him forwards, onto his lover’s lap. Ryan thrust into Gavin until he was practically bouncing on his dick. His mouth was frozen into an O and he let out obscene sounds until a fist circled his cock. He looked down to see Jeremy jacking him off and the two started making out once more. Ryan started sucking on his neck and Gavin was lost to pleasure. His orgasm rolled hot through him fire, burning through all his veins. He thrashed wildly, muscles completely out of his control, chasing all the pleasure his boyfriends could milk out of him. 

When he was finished he collapsed forwards onto Ryan and felt his heart swell as Jeremy’s warm weight draped across his back. They took a few minutes to exchange quiet kisses and bask in their afterglows, Ryan having finished when Gavin was lost to the world. Clean up was quick and then they were all snuggling down together to sleep.

When they were all cuddled together under the covers Gavin asked. “So Lil J, how was it.”

“Can you even ask that? Oh my god, dude, it was amazing. I wanna go again.”

“I think that goes for all of us. Damn that was good.” said Ryan.

“Good thing we can do it as much as we want now.”

“Not right now, I don’t know about you kids, but I need sleep.” to punctuate his point Ryan let out a long yawn that set the other two off with him.

“Good night. Love you both.”

“Love you too.”

“Love you three”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look who's updating this again! I've got one, maybe two chapters left before I'm finally going to quit this fic.
> 
> Also, I'm trying to make my smut less awkward. Hope it is enjoyable!


	7. Chapter 7

  

To Gavin, the only thing better than getting a thoughtful, meaningful gift from someone he loved was  _ giving _ a thoughtful, meaningful gift  _ to _ someone he loved. Today was Jeremy’s birthday and Gavin was bursting with joy because he had the perfect day planned for his lover. 

Jeremy was super hard to shop for too. Usually people were hard to shop for when they already owned everything they could possibly want, or would go buy the thing themselves before anyone else could. But no, Jeremy was the opposite of that. He didn’t have much and he refused to let other people give him stuff. It had taken Gavin a little while to realize, but when he did it was very clear how uncomfortable Jeremy was with the gifts. Gavin had trouble understanding it. The crew often gave each other expensive things because it isn’t like they didn’t have the cash to burn. Often times the stuff was stolen too, so it isn’t like anyone was lost anything by giving those gifts...Well, the giver at least, the original owner lost something by it… But regardless, Jeremy was just too determined to be self sufficient or thought of it as charity and pity to get gifts from people, including Gavin and Ryan.

Material gifts were out, which meant that Jeremy’s birthday present had to be an experience. Time spent together is always appreciated. Gavin remembered back when they were stuck at the bunker, there was one thing that could perk Jeremy right up, and he realized it would be the perfect day for his partner.

Right now the newest Lad was clutching his camera in the passenger seat of Ryan’s car. He wore a blindfold because Gavin wanted their activity to be a surprise. Soon they got to the airfield. Gavin leaped ahead, anxious to prepare everything. Ryan followed behind chuckling and leading Jeremy by the elbow. Gavin threw open the doors to the aircraft hangar just as Ryan undid the knot behind Jeremy’s head. 

“Ta-da!” He practically sang as he took in Jeremy’s expression. “I’m going to take you on a tour of Los Santos, from the skies!”

Standing proudly before them was an old fashioned bi-plane. Jeremy would almost appreciate the colours, with orange wings and a sleek black body. There were two seats, one in the back for the pilot and a bench in front that would fit both Ryan and Jeremy. It was an open cockpit plane, so they would have to use radios to talk.

“You’re taking me flying?” Jeremy asked, incredulous.

“Yes! I remember how much you used to love going up with Jack in the copter.”

Jeremy looked too stunned to speak. Gavin babbled away as he got his boys set up with their headsets and seat belts. 

“And make sure you don’t reach too far out of you seat, or if you do make sure the camera strap is really tight, the wind will pull it right out of the plane!” Jeremy just nodded in reply.

Gavin hopped into the pilot’s seat and began his pre-flight checks. He may be a little scatterbrained at times, but he was sensible enough to make sure the plane was safe to fly before taking off, especially when he had such valuable cargo. He taxied onto the runway and felt the familiar rush as the plane took speed, bumped a few times, and then took to the air!

Because they were at the airfield in the desert Gavin decided to start by flying over Chiliad to start before looping over to the city. Jeremy and Ryan were both pointing out sights to each other, but Gavin was more focused on flying than following the conversation. Jeremy had a death grip on his camera but he was taking pictures.

Gavin loved the view from up in the air of cars and trees looking like toys. It was surreal, it was hard to think that he was a part of that swirling mass of buildings and traffic normally. That somewhere down there there were families and lovers and criminals. He was just so above it all. It was like looking at an ant hill. He knew there were individuals, but from here everyone was just one mass that made the city tick. 

Over the city he saw Jeremy trying to get a picture of something off the side of the plane. Looking over where they were flying Gavin spotted the museum with its beautiful green park surrounding it. 

“Jeremy! Watch this!” he cried as he turned the plane into a steep curve, the wing dipping down so the photographer had a clean shot of his beloved building. 

“This is an amazing gift Gavin! Thank you!”

“My pleasure Lil J! Anything else you wanted to see?”

“Can we go over the coast? I’d love to see the beaches.” 

Gavin turned the plane again and made his way over the coast, the area where the lake drains to the sea was one of his favourites.

“It must have taken you a long time to learn to fly!” Jeremy shouted over the winds.

“Nah, I got the hang of it pretty quick.”

“Don’t you need flying lessons and a license, and all that stuff?”

“Jeremy, Gavin doesn’t even have his  _ driver’s _ license, what makes you think he took the time to  get his pilot’s one?” answered Ryan.

“WHAT”

“Yeah. He’s not here legally, he can’t just walz into a DMV and ask for a driver’s test. That’s why we have you to make the licenses for us!”

“But you can’t just teach yourself to fly!”

“Why not Jeremy? That’s what Youtube is for isn’t it.” Gavin answered. He stopped focusing on the conversation for a bit, focusing on the tight turns which would get Jeremy and Ryan the best views of where the river met the sea and then up to the lake. 

He didn’t notice the plane had gotten quiet until Ryan broke the silence.

“Jeremy, are you okay?”

Gavin looked over to see the birthday boy no longer taking pictures. He looked small in his seat, as if he was hunched down. Gavin noticed he had a white knuckle grip on the door. 

“Yeah. No. Fine. Just, feeling sick.”

“We’re not far from the airport. I’ll take us back, yeah?”

“Thanks Gav.”

Gavin made sure to fly smooth and straight. He didn’t want to make Jeremy puke on his birthday! He made the smoothest landing of his life, but as soon as he taxied to the hanger and cut the engine Jeremy was scrambling out of the plane and onto the ground. 

He and Ryan got out more calmly and walked around to where Jeremy was still lying on the dusty floor. Gavin crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Jeremy, luv, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Do you need anything? Like a bucket?” asked Ryan.

Jeremy sat up with a weak grin. “I’m fine guys, I just need a minute. Thank you. The plane ride was a great present.” He kissed Gavin’s cheek, but Gavin could see and feel the tremor still in his hands. 

“I donno Gav,” said Ryan, no doubt seeing the shaking fingers too, “You look as pale as a ghost.”

Jeremy grimaced and then sighed. “I’m afraid of heights.”

Guilt flashed through Gavin. “But, but you used to go with Jack all the time!”

Jeremy rubbed a hand over his face. “That was also not great. Especially the first time. But she put me on the cameras so I didn’t have to look out the window. I could pretend I was in a super interactive video game. The helicopter also felt a lot safer than this thing with no roof. And Jack is a really good pilot so I didn’t have to worry -” He cut himself off and looked mortified. 

“Didn’t have to worry about some self-taught fool doing tricks?” Gavin finished with a wry smile.

“I didn’t mean it like that!”

“I know what you meant J. Just teasing you.”

“I’m sorry. I did enjoy it. I just got a it freaked out towards the end.”

“Well, if you’re up for it the next part of today was a picnic.” 

“That sounds amazing.”

The three of them ended up having a wonderful picnic on the shore of the lake. They decided to jump in the water too and spent the whole afternoon on the shore. Ryan offered to go back to the bunker to pick up food for dinner and while he was away Jeremy and Gavin discovered an old row boat with an outboard motor. When Ryan got back they paddled out to the centre of the lake and ate there. They watched the sun set over Chiliad and the stars come out one by one. Soon the cool evening air forced them back to shore.

Over the roar of the motor Gavin spoke into Jeremy’s ear. “I’m really sorry I took you up in an airplane when you were afraid of heights.”

“Nah, It’s alright, really Gav. I didn’t think it would bother me and I knew you didn’t know. Now that we’re on the ground I can appreciate how good a pilot you are, and i can’t wait to see how those pictures turned out.”

Gavin just smiled and put his arm around him. His perfect birthday gift may not have turned out exactly as planned, but he hopes Jeremy had a good day anyway.


End file.
